


Come Again Tomorrow (And The Day After)

by Choi_Aya05



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Genderbending, Kang Younghyun & Yoon Dowoon are siblings, Kid Yoon Dowoon, Lesbians, Minor Character Death, Multi, Non-Graphic Violence, Spy!AU, because i live for that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:06:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25285828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Choi_Aya05/pseuds/Choi_Aya05
Summary: It was love at first sight.(Or: Dohyun has a cute crush on the neighbor across them, Younghee cooked for said neighbor once and then she just keeps on doing it, Jae owns two computers, and Wonpil loves to tease. Sungji? She's chill.)
Relationships: Kang Younghyun | Young K & Yoon Dowoon, Kang Younghyun | Young K/Park Jaehyung | Jae, Kim Wonpil & Park Jaehyung | Jae & Park Sungjin, Park Jaehyung | Jae & Yoon Dowoon, minor Kim Wonpil/Park Sungjin - Relationship
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16
Collections: Day6 OTPs





	Come Again Tomorrow (And The Day After)

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This fic is guaranteed to contain inaccuracies from author's lack of knowledge about actual hacking and being a spy. Internet research had yielded one answer: "just don't put too much detail, it's boring anyway". If you're knowledgeable in this topic, I'm so sorry. Good thing this is a work of fiction, no? Also, OC names are just borrowed.
> 
> Anyway, damn, I wasn't expecting it to be this long. I didn't even know I can write beyond 5k words. LMAO
> 
> Getting into that parenthesis-on-the-title trend (though I obviously don't really know how to properly do it). It's from Twice's Knock Knock, altho it has zero relation to this fic. I'm just really bad at titles.

It was love at first sight.

Dohyun knew; she was sure. The fact that she was only twelve didn't mean anything. As they said, age was just a number.

She was twelve and in love.

Dohyun was having a bad day when she first met _her_.

It had been raining since the morning and her sister, Younghee, had slept through her alarm. It was both surprising and unsurprising, really. Although responsible, sleep had always been high up Younghee's priority. That day, however, meant that no one woke Dohyun up, which meant that she no longer trusted Younghee's _what do you need your alarm for, I'll just personally wake you up!_

Too focused in racing with time, Dohyun had failed to notice half of her bag getting soaked. Her heart dropped at the thought of the homework she worked hard for the night prior getting wet as well.

The edges of the papers did get wet, but nothing that couldn't be saved, thank heavens. That was the first good thing that happened to her that day. Everything else was pretty bleak and irrelevant, up until she was trying to dry up as much as possible in the apartment building's entrance. And there _she_ was.

An angel.

She stood beside Dohyun, folding her transparent umbrella. She then tapped it on the mat several times while Dohyun observed, taken back. Tall and slim, porcelain skin and small face adorned with gold-rimmed glasses.

That face.

 _Oh my god._ Dohyun hoped her unbridled gasp went unheard.

The angel lifted a (pretty!) hand to tuck her some of her long, platinum strands behind her ear, revealing an airpod that filled Dohyun with relief.

The angel started walking forward, her hair swaying by her hips, and Dohyun followed, hypnotized. They stood side by side a meter apart in the elevator, and Dohyun wasn't sure if she wanted closer or farther.

There was a ding, which woke Dohyun up. She checked the floor number and was surprised to see she was on the right one. She gaped at the angel's retreating back, almost having the elevator doors close on her.

Dohyun purposely walked more slowly, and almost tripped when the angel stopped across her home.

Oh.

 _Angel_ was their new neighbor.

Although the word _new_ was a bit debatable, seeing as it had been five months. And the only thing Dohyun knew about their new neighbor was that they were very, _very_ rarely ever out. She didn't even know their gender until that day.

Dohyun had all but forgotten her earlier misfortunes and annoyance for her sister (who was confused at the daze Dohyun seemed to be in, but was wary to ask), and went to sleep feeling floaty and fuzzy.

  
The next time Dohyun saw her (and not just a measly glimpse from ajar doors or closing elevators), she made a mistake of letting go of Younghee's hand in the heavily crowded mall.

A heavily crowded, _unfamiliar_ mall.

Dohyun never really ventured this part of their city, but the only store that sold Younghee's "special ingredient" for her "secret recipe" ran out. Younghee told her that they were going on a road trip, something that she knew Dohyun loved, to disguise the purpose of the "outing". Dohyun didn't mind, really. But Younghee had looked guilty, so Dohyun decided to milk it and asked for that particular snack Younghee liked to restrict her from indulging.

("It's unhealthy!"

"You say that, but I know you have a stash of them in your drawer, don't lie!")

Anyway, Dohyun had been walking around, alone, for more than twenty minutes with no signs of Younghee and a phone left forgotten in the car.

In short, she was about to cry.

She could feel it: the stinging in the back of her eyes, the sob bubbling in her throat, the soft hand around her wrist--

Wait, what.

"Hey," a slightly high and breathy voice called out. The hand retreated as soon as Dohyun looked up, and she had to take a step back. The person misunderstood, and backed away as well. "Whoa there, sorry for scaring you."

"U-uh, n-no, you d-didn't." _Oh my god._

The person--the angel, _Dohyun's_ angel!--crouched down to her level with a smile.

Dohyun's heart had officially stopped.

"I noticed you've been going around in circles for a while now, are you lost?"

Dohyun's lower lip wobbled at the reminder. "I can't find my sister," she practically whispered, both in embarrassment and fear. The angel nodded to show her understanding.

"Do you have any way to contact her?"

"I l-left my phone in t-the car..."

"Do you have her number memorized?"

Dohyun lit up. "I do!"

The angel giggled, left eye twitching in an odd way, and Dohyun had ascended to heaven.

_"Yoon Dohyun!"_

Dohyun looked up from her lap at the sound of her sister's shriek. She had been waiting for her for almost ten minutes, sitting by one of the mall's seats, located at the center. It was concrete and rounded, stretched around the tree planted in the middle of it. It served both as a decoration and a resting place. It was beautiful.

Like the angel beside her.

 _Jae-unnie_ , her mind supplied. _Park Jaekyung-unnie._

Jaekyung was quiet and didn't ask any personal questions. She mostly just checked up on Dohyun's state, and whether or not she needed anything. She was a little awkward, but Dohyun understood because so was she. To know that her angel was shy like her made her giddy.

Dohyun stood up, relief filling her up so much she could burst. "Younghee-unnie!"

Younghee didn't have any qualms in slamming her significantly larger and muscular body against Dohyun's but even though Dohyun felt like the air had been punched out of her, her smile never faltered. She hugged Younghee tighter.

"Oh Dohyunnie, unnie's so sorry, I'm sorry--"

"It's okay, I'm okay." Her eyes followed her sister as she lowered her upper body to match Dohyun's height. "I'm sorry for letting go of your hand."

Younghee shook her head. "I'm sorry for not holding it more tightly."

"That sounds deep."

The sisters turned to the voice, watching the lovely blush spread across those pale cheeks despite the face remaining mostly blank.

Younghee stood, lips curled up in a friendly smile. "Kang Younghee." She bowed. "Thank you for helping my sister."

"Kang? I thought you'd be a Yoon." Jaekyung righted her glasses as she walked towards them.

"Different dads." Younghee shrugged.

"Ah," Jaekyung replied with a nod. She reciprocated the bow. "Park Jaekyung." She turned towards Dohyun, expression morphing into something soft. "Now that you're reunited, I'll go ahead."

"Wait!" Dohyun blurted out before she could think. Jaekyung spun back to face her. "U-uhmn, since you helped me, maybe I could p-pay you back?" She pointedly ignored her sister's raised brow and focused her determined eyes on Jae.

"You don't have to."

"I insist!"

Younghee was smirking. Gods, she would be so unbearable later and Dohyun would probably combust.

"It's really no problem--"

"I cook pretty mean barbeque," Younghee quipped, and Dohyun would definitely willingly accept those kisses Younghee always insisted on showering her face later. Just for that day. "I can give you some for dinner later, if you want. We live in the same floor, don't we?"

Dohyun frowned. Younghee knew?

Jaekyung tilted her head. "We do?"

"Pretty sure I've seen you around."

"I see." Jae paused in contemplation. "If you really insist."

Dohyun and Younghee shared triumphant grins.

"Look forward to it then!"

  
"Should we give it now?"

Younghee hummed, glancing at the time. "It's barely 7."

"But that's dinner time, right?"

"Honestly, I don't know. It depends on people, I think." She smirked. "Already missing you beloved _Jae-unnie_?"

"Aren't you done teasing me yet?" Dohyun whined, to which Younghee replied with a loud laugh. It was so endearing, listening to Dohyun recount her first meeting with Jaekyung up until that day's events, which still made her ache with both anxiety and relief.

The way her heart had beaten as she frantically looked for her sister at the mall was certainly unhealthy.

"Nope," she drawled. Dohyun pouted, but brightened up just as quick.

"You have her number, right?"

"Well I mean you used it to call me, right?

Dohyun clutched her arm as she jumped in place. "Text her, text her!"

"Jeez, calm down! 'Can't come across too excited or it might drive her away."

Dohyun blinked. "Really?"

Younghee playfully shook her head. "Tsk, tsk. You still have a lot to learn in the arts of courting, baby sister."

  
Unknown Number  
19:16 PM  
 _hey it's Younghee from a while ago. we cooked u dinner, when shall we make the delivery?_

Jae blinked at her phone. The image of a cute twelve year old (puppy eyes, twin pigtails, height around Jae's chest) and her sister (fox eyes, orange shoulder-length hair, height around Jae's forehead) crossed her mind.

Right.

"Is everything all right?"

She looked up to see her colleague and best friend, Park Sungji, with one of her groomed brows raised. "It's nothing," she replied.

19:18 PM  
 _I'm still in my workplace. I'll message you again once I'm home._

  
19:20 PM  
 _oh?? what do u do for work btw?_

19:20 PM  
 _u dont have to answer if its personal tho_

  
19:21 PM  
 _I work as an accountant._

"An accountant, I see."

Jae sighed. Peering over her shoulder was Kim Wonpil, the villain of her life. Farther behind him was a Sungji pretending she wasn't eavesdropping. Unfortunately for her, she had never been the best actress. "Ji, please put a leash on your dog."

Wonpil gasped dramatically. "Dog? _Dog?!_ "

"I'm guessing you're not coming for dinner?" Sungji inquired, though it sounded rhetorical. Jae confirmed with a hum anyway.

They both ignored Wonpil's exaggerated pout.

  
Park Jaekyung  
20:54 PM  
 _I have arrived home._

 _This lady texts like she's from the 19th century,_ Younghee mused, thinking back to what Jaekyung looked like. A bit like a fairy. Or a baby chick. Maybe like an ice queen? She had been mostly expressionless the two times Younghee had seen her; the kind where Younghee wasn't sure if it was a mask or by default.

Anyway.

"Dohyun-ah, your _angel_ is home," she sing-songed, smiling in anticipation. She only had to wait for two seconds before Dohyun was sprinting towards the kitchen, almost tripping on her slippers. A wide grin was on her face, the widest Younghee had seen since their parents--

"Unnie?"

She startled. Dohyun's head was tilted in confusion, and it wasn't hard to put a smile for her.

"Yeah, dinner delivery, right? Let's go!"

Dohyun was positively bouncing in place, hands clasped on her back and looking up the door in anticipation. Younghee felt herself melting at the sight. She snapped in attention when the door opened to reveal Jaekyung in an oversized hoodie and baggy sweatpants, hair in a loose braid over her shoulder. Dohyun lit up like she was seeing her favorite celebrity.

"Good evening," Jaekyung greeted with a slight bow, which they both returned.

"Hello, Jaekyung-ssi. I hope you don't mind company for the night."

Jaekyung stepped aside to let them in. "Not at all."

The first thing Younghee noticed was that the unit might be identical in layout to theirs, but it was certainly _different_. Everything had it's purpose and there were no excesses. Minimalism, if Younghee recalled right. No trinkets, not even photos... _e_ _xtreme minimalism_?

Then there were two computers beside the decent-sized television. "Uhmn?"

Jaekyung followed her sight. "My friends and I are avid players," was her simple response. Dohyun jumped in excitement.

"Do play LoL, Jae-unnie?"

Jaekyung's posture seemed to relax. It was then that Younghee realized that the other had been a tad stiff before. "Occasionally." Jaekyung smiled and oh.

_Interesting._

"So you weren't lying." Jae gently patted her mouth with a table napkin for any leftover sauce. Younghee looked up from her food.

"Huh?"

"That you make pretty mean barbeque."

"Of course I wasn't!" Younghee looked so offended that Jae just had to chuckle. She ceased at the expression on Younghee's face.

"What is it?"

Younghee shook her head. "You look better with a smile."

The napkin crumpled in her grip as she lowered eyes to the table. "...thanks."

  
Dohyun turned the knob after Younghee keyed in their apartment passcode. "Shy type, isn't she?" She commented as she and her sister entered their own home from Jaekyung's place. They had definitely talked more than Jaekyung had asked.

Dohyun nodded enthusiastically. Then sobered up when she looked up at Younghee. "Unnie."

Younghee frowned. "Yeah?"

Dohyun took a deep breath. "Do you approve of her?"

"Huh?"

"Jae-unnie. Do you like her?"

Younghee contemplated. "Well, I could definitely see why you're so charmed."

Dohyun nodded, her expression somber enough to make Younghee actually nervous. "Then you'll be okay when I propose to her someday, right?"

"...what?"

"I'm going to propose to Jae-unnie when I'm big enough to work."

Oh my god.

Younghee would normally start teasing Dohyun at this point, but she could only muster a loving smile. She ruffled the girl's hair. "Whatever makes you happy, Dohyunnie."

  
A knock on the door jolted Jae from her book. Her heart leapt. She wasn't expecting anyone.

As quietly as she could, she tiptoed towards the door, grip on her book tight as she prepared to swing it just in case.

"Jaekyung-ssi?"

Jae sagged with an exhale of relief. She swung the door open. "Younghee-ssi."

Younghee smiled. Beside her, Dohyun was peering up at Jae, her ebony locks in twin braids this time. "Jaekyung-ssi, I hope we're not disturbing?"

Jae pulled the door open wider. "Not at all. Can I help you?"

"Dohyun has something." Younghee glanced at her sister with a smile. Dohyun took a step forward and lifted a bag.

"This is my favorite cake." Dohyun turned red. Jae waited, expecting the kid to elaborate, but she seemed unable to.

"I got extra so Dohyun thought we should share," Younghee swooped in, patting Dohyun's head. Dohyun nodded enthusiastically, her twin pigtails bobbing with the motion. Jae softened, but realized--

"I'm lactose intolerant."

Younghee blinked. Dohyun's expression dropped, as did Jae's heart. "Oh."

"Don't worry, it doesn't get too bad," she amended, beckoning the sisters in. "I really appreciate that you thought of sharing your favorite with me. Thank you, Dohyun-ah."

 _I'm gonna die later_ , Jae thought.

But Dohyun's beam and Younghee's evident relief were enough consolations.

(Even once she was suffering from the drilling headache and stomach cramps hours later, she knew she wouldn't change her decision even if she could turn back time.)

That was the beginning.

When her heart no longer jumped at the sound of knocking, nerves replaced with a sort of anticipation, Jae had realized that she had opened her door more times than she ever had since she got her job.

"Jae-unnie," Dohyun called out, eyes never leaving the monitor. Jae made a sound of acknowledgement. "Why do you never go out?"

"I do go out? We met when I was out, remember?"

"Yeah, no, I get what she means," Younghee piped up, straightening from her slouch on Jae's couch. She had been silently watching the two play on the computer for almost two hours, preoccupied with the cake she baked. (A dairy free variety, after that first blunder a month before.

When the two had came back the next day announcing that Jae must try the cake they personally baked--assuring her that it didn't contain anything harmful for her--Jae had been so touched her grin refused to fade. Especially once she actually tried the cake. The sisters seemed to have taken it as a permission to barge in Jae's unit and made her their culinary guinea pig.

Jae couldn't find it in herself say no.)

"I think I've only ever seen you out twice before, including that time we finally introduced ourselves to each other. This month..."

"I told you, I work at home. There's no need to go out."

"But spring is almost over! What about the cherry blossoms?" Dohyun took her focus off the computer to give Jae the whole of it. Jae paused the game.

"I'm allergic to grass and pollen."

"Oh." Dohyun looked so heartbroken.

"Are seriously allergic to everything?" Younghee asked, both amused and genuinely curious. Jae gave her a dry look.

"Unfortunately." She turned back at Dohyun and bit her lower lip. "Why? Do you want to go somewhere?"

Dohyun nodded, refusing to look Jae in the eye. "There's something I wanna show you."

Jae reached out for the kid's hand, smiling when their eyes made contact. "You can take me there without the risk of me dying."

Dohyun's head tilted in confusion then turned beet red at Jae's wink.

  
"This _is_ a good idea," Younghee commented, falling back to follow her sister from behind. Dohyun held her phone up, carefully swinging it around. On the screen was Jaekyung's face, taking in the scenery from her own device in the comfort of her home.

"I know. I'm a genius," Jaekyung gloated, making her chuckle. Getting past Jaekhyung's cold exterior and being able to share jokes with her had been monumental for Younghee. For some reason, it felt a lot like a hard-earned achievement.

"Why don't you just wear a mask?" She asked, suddenly having the realization that yes, Jae could have worn a mask.

"Nah," was Jaekyung's only response. Then, "woah."

"Hmn?" Younghee paused as Dohyun did, the kid pointing the camera a bit to the right where the biggest cherry blossom tree in the park was.

"Woah!" Jaekyung was giggling, eyes wide in awe before they were blinking fast, particularly the left eye. The phone's grainy resolution didn't give Younghee a clear view of the way she knew those eyes were sparkling but she found that she could totally stare at Jaekyung and she wouldn't know.

(She had been staring at Jaekyung this whole time.)

"--yes, you should!"

Younghee snapped back to reality. Dohyun was jumping lightly, and she seemed to have switched to front camera while Younghee was spacing out.

"I guess I could take allergy meds. Going out would be so worth it for that view." Jaekyung smiled, the kind that she seemed to have reserved for Dohyun. Younghee would know; she had that too.

Their eyes met.

"You'll come with me, right?"

"Huh?"

"Next time, I'll go there. Preferably with the two of you."

"Ah." Younghee nodded. "Of course, unnie."

"Promise?"

Oh. Why did she suddenly felt like melting?

"Yeah, promise."

Jaekhyung's smile widened. Younghee was _pleased_.

  
"Someone's in a good mood."

Jae looked up from the files she was inspecting to Wonpil, who was sipping on the coffee he helped himself with with Jae's coffee machine. He sat on the couch beside Sungji, who was also sipping her dose of caffeine from Jae's very own favorite mug.

She closed the folder and lowered her body to a slouch, her desk chair accommodating her comfortably. Definitely a good investment. "Am I now?"

"Uh-huh." Wonpil placed the mug on the coffee table, along with all the other files they had to go through. "So."

Jae raised a brow. "So?"

Wonpil wriggled his brows. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"What guy."

"A girl then."

Jae's brows furrowed. "Can't I just be in a good mood? Would you rather I'm not?"

"Well," Sungji lowered her mug. "You're usually not when we're working."

"Whoever they are, they must've fucked you real good if--"

Wonpil's weird ass laugh resonated in the whole apartment as Jae chased him around. She had Wonpil cornered when the familiar four consecutive knocks were heard, followed by a cheerful _"Jae-unnie!"_ And of course, he wouldn't be Kim Wonpil if he didn't seize the opportunity to turn the tables.

With Jae distracted, he swiftly twisted Jae's arm behind her and pressed her against him, his chest flushed against her back. It was at that exact moment, that exact position, when Sungji opened the door to reveal Younghee with Dohyun in tow.

The smile Younghee had been sporting instantly fell. "Sorry, are we interrupting?"

"Not at all!"

Sungji watched as Wonpil's eyes gained that mischievous gleam that always made her stomach churn. The odds of the situation ending up being good was the same as it ending badly. Either way though, Jae was going to suffer.

Said suffering began when Wonpil let go of Jae's trapped arm in favor of wrapping his arms around her waist in an inescapable back hug. Jae grimaced.

Sungji could only sigh as she returned to her seat. Might as well enjoy the show.

  
Dohyun's eyes flitted from the man situated behind Jaekyung's chair to the woman seated beside her on the couch, a respectable distance between them. She looked beautiful; her wavy dark brown hair framed her strong features that contrasted with the animated and kind eyes that regarded Dohyun. _"Park_ _Sungji_ , _"_ she had introduced once Dohyun and Younghee entered. The man, Kim Wonpil, was pretty, too. His boxy smile was radiant.

Dohyun resented the fact that she couldn't be mad at him. Still, she wasn't happy with the way he had his arms folded and settled on Jaekyung's backrest and the way he was leaning down to rest his chin on the top of her head.

"I didn't know Jae-unnie have friends," Younghee joked. From where they were pressed together, Dohyun could feel that her sister was tensed. The man chortled.

"Surprising, I know. Especially with noona's personality of a wet cardboard--"

"Finish that sentence and I'll make your life hell." Jaekyung scowled, an expression Dohyun had never seen in her before. She wanted to stare, but she was also scared of getting caught. When Jaekyung's gaze landed on her and Younghee, however, they were soft and apologetic. "So sorry you had to be in the presence of this guy--"

"Hey--"

"--Sungji left his leash at home--"

"Park Jaekyung, I know all your secrets."

Jaekyung snorted, glaring up at Wonpil. "That doesn't mean much when I know all of your secrets too."

"Children," Sungji started, her voice stern. "Let's not air out our dirty laundry in front of the guests."

The two mumbled an apology. It was equal parts amusing and enviable. At that moment, Dohyun had never felt their age gap more. It made her realize that Jaekyung had been doing her best to accommodate her; to converse with her in a level that was appropriate for her: for _Dohyun_ , a _child._

It was certainly a different level than _this_.

"Dohyun-ah?" Jaekyung called. Dohyun looked up to see her looking concerned. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, unnie." She tried for a smile. She could tell that Jaekyung didn't believe it with the way she shared an eye contact with Younghee. The action made Dohyun feel worse.

"I bought a new game, by the way."

Dohyun perked up a tad. "A game?"

Jaekyung grinned. "Yeah. A game. _That_ game."

Dohyun paused, thinking. Then she was eagerly running to the blonde's arms. "Oh my god, really?!"

Jaekyung giggled, pinching Dohyun's cheek. "Of course."

"Aren't you working though?" Younghee inquired, pointing at the files neatly piled on the coffee table and Jaekyung's desk. Dohyun deflated.

"Don't worry, I'm free tomorrow." Jaekyung assured. Dohyun's face lit up.

"Really?"

"Really. I'll be waiting, okay?"

"Okay!"

"Can I play with you guys?" Wonpil butted in, tenderly smiling at Dohyun, causing her to flush from the attention.

_No! You're a rival!_

"No." Ah, Dohyun was definitely happy with Jaekyung's answer.

"You're just scared to lose."

Oh no. Those were the lines Younghee would use whenever Dohyun chose a game Jaekyung wasn't good at and she wanted to join for the sake of poking fun at Jaekyung. And Jaekyung always answered with--

_"Get ready to eat my dust then!"_

  
Seeing as there were only two computers, they'd decided on a change-the-loser system. Sungji took the opportunity to have _the conversation_ once Jaekyung stood from her seat with a huff. She had to wait for a bit as Wonpil taunted the elder first from _"losing_ _to a kid"_ , as if he himself hadn't lost to Dohyun prior.

She took Jaekyung's thin wrist and led her to the kitchen, not missing the look Younghee had sent them.

"They like you," she stated without preamble. Jaekyung seemed to have already expected it, face smooth from anything that could give her emotions away. "And you like them too."

Jaekyung lowered her gaze. Sungji pursed her lips.

"I can't say I'm not happy for you because I am. Just... you know how--"

"I'm well aware."

And Sungji had always hated it; how robotic Jaekyung would sound when she was upset. How she tried to conceal everything even with her and Wonpil, both whom she'd known for years.

_Don't you trust us?_

Jaekyung stared, before the tension left her body and she linked their pinkies together. It mollified Sungji somewhat. It was fitting, as they both weren't big fans of skinship. It was what they usually did to convey messages without words.

"If--when--I break, you'll be there to pick up my pieces, right?"

Sungji gave Jaekyung an affectionate yet sad smile. "Always."

  
Jae took in the sight in front of her. Younghee's barbeque place looked almost as generic as all those other restaurants Jae had been in before--almost. The little details: the trinkets, band posters, polaroids and post-it-notes from the customers made the place homely.

"Here it is!" Younghee announced, beaming with pride.

Jae felt warm in more ways than one. "Here it is," she echoed quietly, the corners of her mouth lifting in the slightest.

"Sit here, unnie, I'll be right back!"

And Younghee was gone before Jae could even blink. She pulled out a chair from the table Younghee gestured her to and sat, eye roaming around once more. She had finally indulged the sisters' countless invitations.

Her heart was pumping anxiety and her arteries were spreading it through every inch of her. She took a deep breath, closing and opening her hands. She was having a hard time feeling them. It had been a while since she had to be out for leisure. It was always about an errand or for work anymore since the day they--

The hand atop hers almost made her jump. Younghee instantly retreated, holding her hands up. "Hey, it's just me. You okay?"

"Ah," Jae let out a shaky exhale. "Yeah, sorry about that. I just remembered something."

"Really?"

She nodded. "There was a time I worked for a shop like this and some lady scolded me in front of everyone when I accidentally spilled sauce on her."

"Oh no." Younghee seemed greatly upset. But then her features abruptly shifted to determination. "Tell me her name and address."

"What for?"

"I just wanna talk."

"What're you gonna to tell her?" Jae humored, her pulse finally coming to a slow.

"I'm gonna tell her to square up in an alleyway beside a dumpster."

She snickered. "Like in movies?" Younghee grinned.

"Why not?"

"Does that even actually happen?"

"I don't know. I kinda don't wanna find out."

"Same."

Younghee took the seat across her and seemed to have bought her lie. "Sorry you had to experience something like that, though."

"It's not your fault."

"I know. It's just... in these past few weeks, you've become someone I care about. So although it's impossible, I want you to just always be smiling."

Jae's breath hitched. She could feel her throat tightening with emotions she wasn't used to. She gulped. "T-that's really sweet of you, Younghee-ah. Thank you."

Younghee's answering smile was mellow.

"Unnie!"

They both turned to see Dohyun rushing towards them with a beam. She latched onto her sister's side and nuzzled her arm before regarding Jae. "Hello, Jae-unnie."

"Hello, Dohyun-ah. How's school?"

Dohyun's sparkled. "We're learning about instruments!"

"Really?"

"Yes! I think I really like drums."

"Drums are cool."

"Very!"

Jae and Younghee shared grins.

"Do you play instruments, Jae-unnie?"

Jae paused at the memories the simple question triggered. "I used to."

"What did you play?" Younghee inquired, straightening up a bit.

"Guitar."

"Oh!" Dohyun excitedly exclaimed, shaking Younghee's arm. "Unnie plays guitar too! And bass!"

She peered at Younghee. "Is that so?"

"Yes!" Dohyun answered.

"We could totally form a band," Younghee joked, but Dohyun had brightened.

"Really?!"

"O-oh, well." Younghee gave her a glance and Jae smiled.

"Why not? I'll be on guitar, your unnie could be bass, and you can be drums."

"That's right! So practice well, okay?"

Dohyun jumped. "Okay!"

Jae's heart fluttered. It was pretty uncommon to see the kid this cheerful, as she was usually more reserved and quiet even when playing games.

It made her want to protect.

She watched as Younghee and Dohyun assisted the waitress in serving their meal, refusing her offer of help. Back were the palpitations, this time with resolve mixed in with uncertainty and fear.

She'd do anything to protect this. Them.

  
_"We found him,"_ Wonpil announced as soon as Jae picked up the phone. She was awake in an instant, rolling over to her back to stare at the ceiling with wide eyes. _"The lead was legitimate."_

She shut her eyes, hating the hope that blossomed in her. Hating herself for not wanting to hope.

  
Jae had only been in the unit across hers thrice in the months she'd known the sisters but she had always felt more at ease than in her own.

_"That's our mom," Younghee informed, standing beside Jae as she look at the pictures decorating the beige living room wall. "She liked decorating."_

Younghee had said that they never really changed their mother's original design; just moved things around or added something. There were a lot of colors, a lot of things to see that Jae's eyes couldn't settle on one thing, but it wasn't overcrowded. It was harmonious: the way the pastel pink sofa matched with the burgundy rug and olive beanbags, as well as the marble white coffee table. How the muted orange kitchen walls went with the sky blue cabinets.

Lively yet calming.

It reminded her of her own home back in LA. It was a tad chaotic, but they knew what went where.

Ah, she should probably call her family more.

"Hey," Younghee called out, causing Jae to lift her gaze from the chopping board. The corners of the younger's lips lifted slightly. "I lost you there for a bit."

"Yeah." She blinked, then adjusted her glasses. "Sorry." She returned her attention to the carrots she was supposed to be slicing.

Younghee walked over from the stove to stand beside her, their arms touching. "You're distracted. That's dangerous when your holding a knife."

She deflated a tad. "Yeah." She repeated lamely, yielding when Younghee carefully took the knife from her.

"I know we're probably not close enough, but if you want, you can tell me anything and I won't judge. Or I'll try my best not to." Younghee snickered at her glare. "But really, you know what they say: sometimes, just telling someone eases the burden."

"That doesn't really work for everyone. There are people who feel like they're just gonna weight others down or that they'll come off as attention seekers so they'd rather not talk."

"And you? Are you like that?"

Jae's brows furrowed. "I don't know," she mumbled.

"It's okay." Younghee gave her a gentle nudge, before starting to expertly chop the vegetables. "Whether you wanna talk or not, I'm just here. To be a silent company."

Jae's heart swelled. Overwhelmed, she allowed herself to briefly connect her temple against Younghee's to express gratitude. "Thank you."

She backed away to return Younghee's personal space and noticed that the other's limbs seemed to be locked in place.

"Younghee-ah?"

"H-huh? Ah, yes, _yes_! The carrots. Right."

"Right. The, uh, soup is starting to burn, I think."

_"Shit!"_

"Not to be ungrateful or anything, but why do you keep on giving me free food?"

Younghee paused, chopsticks halfway to her mouth. Jaekyung seemed to be under a deep pondering, spoon pushing her meal back and forth the plate mindlessly. "Why not? Do you not like it?"

"It's not that." They shared a quick eye contact. Jaekyung averted eyes first while Younghee couldn't, helplessly stuck on the older's face. "It's just, this thing started because you thought you owe me but you've already done so much more."

"Because I like you," she found herself saying. "I wanted to be your friend. _Want_ to be your friend." And it was true. And maybe more, but it didn't feel like the right time.

Not yet.

Jaekyung was looking at her like she was seeing Younghee for the first time, or like--

Like Younghee was the knight in shining armor that came to save her. And then she smiled. Jaekyung _smiled_ and Younghee just _knew_ that it was different.

"Friends," she uttered, her cadence almost reverent. "I'd like that. I'd like to be your friend."

Younghee beamed. She still wasn't sure if it was a good idea to invite the person her sister was crushing on for lunch without said sister and when she herself felt something for the very same person. It wasn't as if she was taking Dohyun lightly, but she had an impression that Dohyun was under the spell of puppy love that she thought was "true love". Younghee felt like she was cheating on a quiz that would barely affect her grade, and yet.

And yet.

  
"Isn't this too good to be true?"

Wonpil eyed Sungji's reflection on the mirror as she sat on his bed, his fingers hovering over his shirt buttons as he considered her words.

"It seems so easy," she continued, mostly to herself, "for a group that gave us too much work before."

"It does." He finished up his buttons and patted the shirt down, regarding himself with a satisfied nod. He then turned and made his way to sit beside her, a bit of space between them. "It's because their network weakened when we busted them. I mean, we were pretty thorough. Jae-noona made sure to cover all the bases so that they'll be too crippled to operate back."

"Crippled, but not permanently eliminated."

"They would be. That's what were trying to do now, right?"

Sungji sighed and Wonpil couldn't help but marvel at the fact that Sungji let him see this side of her. Suddenly, a meter felt like miles. "I just don't want a repeat of _that_. Maybe we should've passed the mission to another team--"

"Do you really mean that?" He cocked his head to the side. "Can you really stand not being personally involved to see this through?"

Sungji's posture drooped, and his chest ached. "I can't. And I feel so guilty because I know Jae wants nothing to do with this anymore-- _you_ want nothing to do with this, not after they killed--"

He grabbed Sungji's hand in burst of courage. "I know." He squeezed once. "I know." They shared a long, meaningful stare.

She squeezed back.

  
A movie they'd both seen before played on the background as Younghee and Jaekyung sat on the latter's couch. Dohyun was hanging out with a friend her age just a floor below and Younghee didn't have to be in the restaurant so she decided to pay Jaekyung a visit.

She was diligently chewing her chips as she listened to Jaekyung recount how her childhood dream was to be an ambassadress. "How could someone end up in a bookkeeping job with a Pol Sci degree?" She asked, and observed the way Jaekyung stiffened.

"Not everyone is fortunate enough to land a job that fits their degree."

Younghee's eyes widened for a fraction. Jaekyung hadn't been this closed off since their third dinner together, where the older had first cracked a joke that made her laugh a little too hard. Because for all that she seemed stoic and cool, Jaekyung was actually funny.

She hated the strain on Jaekyung's tone.

"I used to study in Canada for high school," she blurted out. Jaekyung looked taken aback, her left eye twitching in the way it always did. It never failed to be endearing.

"I asked my mom and stepdad if I could, and they agreed." She fidgeted, one hand inside the foil whilst the other crumpled it from the outside. It had been a while since she talked about the past, about 'them'. She only ever told Jaekyung that their mother decorated their home, but not about--although Jaekyung might've already had an idea. She could be surprisingly perceptive at times.

"Anyway." She took a chip out in a play of nonchalance. " _Younghee_ was sorta hard to pronounce for the people there so I looked up baby names."

"What did you choose?" Jaekyung inquired curiously, slowly loosening up again. Younghee grinned, albeit dimmed.

"Brianna."

Jaekyung let out an unrestrained laugh. "Oh my god, that fits you so much! You do look like a _Brianna_!"

"What does that even mean?" Younghee giddily laughed along, unable to fight it.

"Brianna." Jaekyung tested, and seemed a little too satisfied. "Brianna."

Younghee's breath caught in her throat. No one really called her that since she came back to Korea. She had come to _dislike_ it, since it was what her parents used.

What they used to use.

( _"B-Brianna, take c-care of Dohyun f-for us. I'm s-sorry, we l-love you--"_ )

" _Bribri_. That's what I'm calling you from now on!"

Jaekyung gave it a different color, however; one that Younghee found too pretty to destroy.

"Whatever, _Jaejae_."

Jaekyung huffed, but didn't protest.

  
The security system made a melodic sound to announce the newcomer. Jae didn't have to turn to know it was Wonpil. Her eyes were glued on the screen, on the real-time footages of the CCTV cameras installed around the building's perimeter and beyond, checking if anyone had followed him.

She was still paranoid from the last encounter and she doubt she would ever not be again.

Rustling could be heard as Wonpil took off his disguise: the thick glasses and realistic fake beard. The gray beanie from his iron-straightened hair, the prosthetic nose. The jacket, then the shoulder paddings.

No one followed him, but Jae was still tensed. Her whole apartment was; almost tangible and suffocating.

Sungji, from where she kept on analyzing the files she had already memorized, couldn't lift her eyes off of it. She was anticipating.

They both were.

It had been almost three weeks since they last saw Wonpil. He didn't contact them much since there wasn't any notable developments anyway; something that had almost driven them mad at times.

"Our guy is a part of _it_ ," he started as he took a seat beside Sungji. "They seemed to have changed modus. Since the clubs they'd get their people from got raided, they turned to recruiting. Promising these people, these _teenagers_ a bright future." He spat his words, and it shook the two. Wonpil was the calmest among them; he'd seen a lot, they all had. But he usually dealt with it well.

Now, however.

The syndicate they were after had been in the government's radar for years. They were so elusive and didn't even have a name. They were affiliated with several clubs and operated mostly by drugging people, usually teenagers who loved to pretend as adults. They then take them to put them up on sale.

They sold _people_. To other illegal organizations.

Whether those groups needed people for prostitution or illegal organ donations, they provided.

 _Disgust_ didn't even begin to describe what they felt.

Investigators and profilers alike had worked on the case, but the group was too scattered and had too much network that the slightest move instantly alerted them. Suspicions of a mole, or perhaps more, had arouse, but all were speculations.

Until Jae had accidently tapped into something.

Her group, used to be composed of four people, had been investigating a different case. Wonpil, who did the scouting, had managed to discover a very vital information: a website. A very popular and legitimate one.

And one that was apparently being used to exchange messages through a code they made themselves.

They alerted their superior, Park Jinyoung, who immediately made tactics with select groups for the raids. He had suspected of government officials being involved, so he didn't want their operation to be loud. He reported directly to the prime minister. Sungji, who had exceptional combat skills, and Junhyeok, who was recognized for the way he worked with knives and his stealth, were chosen to participate. Wonpil accompanied Jae, their location about a kilometer from the inconspicuous commercial building that was apparently the base of the syndicate.

Across the city, authorities prepared to bust the clubs Jae had uncovered to be linked to them.

It would seem like the organization, for all its prominence, had only a handful of people directly working in it. They employed and discarded lackeys, worked in a contractual sort of way. They made them fulfill the jobs needed, gave them only the information they would use; nothing more, nothing less. They paid accordingly and the pawns never questioned.

Their system worked perfectly.

They couldn't wait to _obliterate_ it.

And for a bit, they believed they could.

  
Jae, who was supposed to focus on the screen no matter what happened, had looked away when Junhyeok got shot.

Wonpil's scream was devastated as he watched from one of the monitors and Jae was only human, could only take so much--

Her computer pinged with a message.

**_Found you._ **

It had been a flurry of movements after that.

_Time moved too slow, too fast. Everything was blurry as Wonpil took her wrist and pulled her out of the storage room, after she had dazedly deleted everything in the computers. They were practically empty anyway. They served one purpose, which they already fulfilled._

_Wonpil made her wear a mask before he wore his own and pulled her hood up before he put his cap on._

_The hallways of the motel were empty, whatever sounds in the surroundings muffled and indistinguishable. Wonpil gave the manager, who stood by the receptionist, a nod._

_She could've prevented it. Probably. She wasn't sure. Was it a trap? Had they been tracking her as she was tracking them?_

_It didn't matter. They were found._

_The market was crowded once they were out, which worked to their advantage. Wonpil's eyes darted around, a hand on the small of Jae's back to guide her._

_"Shit," Wonpil muttered, making them take a sharp left. The footsteps and chatter around Jae seemed to intensify. Wonpil took her hand and sped their pace up, just enough to make it seem as if they needed to catch up the bus. Which they did._

_The man they were about to pass by suddenly yanked Jae's mask off and she made her second mistake that night._

_She looked right back to his eyes._

_Wonpil was a second too late in putting an arm around her to pull her down. He memorized her face just like how she couldn't forget his sadistic, crooked grin. They were unable to do anything else when the man docked down and blended in with the crowd._

_Jae knew she would pay for these mistakes; knew she was right when the very next day, news about Park Jimin, the neighbor she had managed to build an easy friendship with, going missing reached her._

_Her body was found five days later. The very same day, a disguised nurse injected poison in Junhyeok's IV; the very same poison that turned up in Jimin's autopsy later on._

_A message._

They wouldn't go after her yet, Park Jinyoung had hypothesized. They were just keeping her in check, telling her that she was under their radar.

The whole situation had blown up and some of the government officials involved got exposed. So did the teams behind the mission, when an unknown source released their names.

They would have to keep a low profile, make their next moves even more discreetly. The syndicate would most probably focus on rebuilding what they lost, gain power once more.

_And then, maybe, one by one..._

"What's their current goal?" Sungji leaned against the backrest, her (pretty, pretty) eyes regarding Wonpil. He shifted in his seat.

"Lee Jin's just a lackey, and his only job is to deliver people then he'd get paid. I told him that I was desperate for money, and he said he'd talk to his employer. I'm meeting them tomorrow, just the next town over." Wonpil, who had to pretend to be a broke, desperate server at a dingy diner to gather information, would be risking so much tomorrow. It wasn't anything they'd never done before, but a weight settled in Sungji's chest anyway.

An impending sense of doom blanketed them.

  
"Bribri."

Dohyun startled, head whipping to Jaekyung and homework descending to the last of her priorities.

"Is this the right amount?" Jaekyung lifted the measuring spoon. Younghee took a peek.

"Yeah." Younghee's eyes moved from the spoon to Jaekyung's face. "Perfect."

Jaekyung gave a series of small nods, pouring the soy sauce to the bowl. Dohyun's gaze flitted from her to Younghee.

Something changed. She could feel it.

"You seem really distracted today, more so than usual."

Jae could only watch as her character die and Dohyun was declared the winner. Dinner was served and finished, and Dohyun proposed to play a game. Jae almost said no, but she knew she would be questioned.

And she did got questioned, in the end.

She lifted her legs to her chest and turned sideways, facing the sisters. They were looking at her expectantly so she attempted to smile. "Sorry about that. Just about work. Normal stuff, you know?"

"I get it." Younghee sympathetically smiled back. The younger took the controller from her, and she found the way their fingers brushed together pleasant. "Don't worry, I'll fight for your honor and defeat Dohyunnie for you."

"As if you can," Dohyun retorted, weaker than normal. It would seem like Jae wasn't the only one in a mood. Jae could feel something urgent build up inside her.

"Dohyun-ah, can I hug you?"

"H-huh?" Dohyun turned an unhealthy shade of red, staring at her. It was a request they never thought they'd hear from her, she knew.

"Sorry, that was weird."

"N-no! I, uh, just, do you really wanna? Hug me?"

It felt easier to smile this time. "That's what I asked."

"O-okay."

Jae put her legs down while Dohyun shyly moved beside her. She made sure not to hold on too tightly, mostly just letting Dohyun's head rest on her collarbone with her arms loose around the kid. She rested her cheek atop Dohyun's head. "Thank you," she whispered.

She fell asleep to the sound of the sisters playing a video game in a low, comforting volume.

Dohyun watched her sister carefully lift Jaekyung and carry her to the bedroom. She pulled the blankets so Younghee could put Jaekyung down and wouldn't have to wrestle it from under her, then tucked the eldest in it. They removed her glasses and switched the night lamp on, cleaned up some of the mess, then went back to their own unit after making sure everything was tidy in the Park household.

"She called you _Bribri_." Dohyun finally broke the silence they were sharing. Younghee stilled from where she was fiddling with her phone.

"Yeah," she eventually uttered, hunching over a little. She gave a heavy exhale, and without meeting Dohyun's gaze, she admitted, "she did."

And Dohyun _understood_.

It hurt.

Younghee's fingers hovered over the keyboard. She had opened her chat with Jaekyung, back-reading a bit and unable to hold back a fond chuckle. Although Jaekyung had said that she didn't really have a good grasp of punctuation marks, she still texted formally. Sometimes she slipped, however, becoming casual and neglecting a comma here and there especially when she got excited, and Younghee definitely preferred it.

Jaejae <3  
22:32 PM  
 _u fell asleep lol hope u dont mind that we had to carry u to ur room_

22:33 PM  
 _goodnight sweet dreams <3_

  
22:35 PM  
 _Nihgt ,sewt draems._

  
22:35 PM  
 _omg did i woke u up???_

  
22:35 PM  
 _Itsokay. ._

22:36 PM  
 _Dnt mind._

  
22:37 PM  
 _see u tmrw??_

  
22:39 PM  
 _Yea. Night, Bribri._

  
22:39 PM  
<3 <3 <3

  
22:45 PM  
 _< 3_

  
_Wonpil's eyes widened, his mouth agape._

_Behind the girl, a man with a crooked grin._

_"Tell Park Jaekyung this."_

  
When things got tough, Jae got reminded of the good days. She wasn't sure if it was a coping mechanism of some sort, but as she was waiting for Wonpil and Sungji in the silence of her bedroom, Jae recalled the time she met Sungji in college. She was a Psychology major and seemed to have a lot of acquaintances, but only really friends with a few. Jae had mostly seen her around two boys, Lee Junghwan and Im Jaebum.

Jae had always been a quiet kid--that kid in the back hindered by a lot of allergies. College had kind of changed her. Growing up had made her less susceptible to allergies. Everyone was too focused on themselves to nitpick. People generally cared less. As an effect, she had more opportunities to befriend people.

Her roommate, Woo Hyerim, was Park Sungji's classmate in one subject. Sungji came knocking on their door because Hyerim had lent her notes and they hit off really well for their mutual love of music.

Back then, when Jae wasn't jamming with her friends, she hacked into things for fun.

She had developed interest in hacking after seeing it in a movie and thinking it was cool. She learnt coding through the years during her free time, but wasn't interested in making a career out of it no matter how good she had gotten. That, plus her curiosity that made her explore areas and stuff people tended to overlook led her to stumble upon something she shouldn't have.

Long story short, she had a vital information authorities needed, gave it to them, and got recruited.

Sungji decided to follow her as a crime psychologist. She then started taking self-defense lessons and fell in love with the art.

Kim Wonpil had a Civil Engineering degree but decided that he quite liked being in their field after he had helped analyze a prominent hotel's bombing case. Im Junhyeok, his best friend who was an investigator, had asked for his opinion regarding the case without divulging sensitive details. They had greatly benefitted from his input.

They only assisted in cases but were eventually summoned by a mysterious man that went by JYP who made them a team.

A team of four, down to three. Jae was afraid of their number lowering to two, or one. She was afraid of death, but the idea of her friends dying or of her leaving the people she cherished behind made her heart pound like no other.

She clutched her phone, eyes clamping tight when the intrusive thoughts began filling her with ideas that gave her the urge to scream.

The device gave a ping that shook her entire body.

With trembling hands and shallow breaths, she opened the message and tried to read through her blurring vision.

Bribri  
10:59 AM  
 _mark sent me a pic of chicks and they reminded me of u lol_

She didn't know what possessed her. She felt too numb, and perhaps it had clouded her judgement. Whatever it was, it spurred her to press the call button with a sort of desperation that didn't really register to her.

Younghee picked up after the second ring. _"Hello?"_ Her voice was evidently tentative; Jae had never called her before. There was never a need.

"Bri," she responded breathlessly, and she realized she was having difficulties with breathing.

_"Jae? What's wrong?"_

"Bri," she sobbed pitifully. She buried her face in the crook of her elbow, incapable of stopping the tears nor form any more coherent words.

_"Jae? Jaekyung? Jae, baby, please stay with me. Jae?"_

"I'm h-here."

_"Okay, so, did you know that mother hens talk to their chicks while still in the eggs and the chicks could chirp back?"_

Jae froze. "R-really?"

_"Yes! They also teach them what to eat and what not to. And they take dust baths to help with the oil in their feathers."_

"That's s-so interesting."

_"That's not sarcasm, right?"_

"No, no." She sniffled. "Tell me more?"

_"Oh, you like chicken fun facts?"_

"Not necessarily about chickens."

_"Why not?"_

"I like other animals too."

_"You're probably allergic to most of them."_

"Maybe."

_"Don't worry, I have more facts so brace yourself!"_

Jae was listening to Younghee ramble about otters when she heard _the_ rhythmic knocking. She jolted, brows furrowing. She stood with shaky legs, phone still against her ear where Younghee had become quiet, and clumsily rushed towards the door.

"Bri," she whispered, lowering her device as Younghee did.

"Jae." Younghee gave a tiny grin. Jae, for the second time that day, allowed herself not to think and flung her body into Younghee's waiting embrace. "Sorry I'm late. I was at the restaurant."

Jae moved to pull away but Younghee just held her tighter. "You didn't have to come, sorry I--"

"Of course I had to!" Younghee nuzzled her face on Jae's shoulder, making the older squirm. "I had to."

Jae melted, arms around Younghee's neck relaxing. She took a step back while Younghee took one forward, kicking the door close in the process. They walked like that until they reached the couch where they plopped themselves side by side, still attached.

"We look stupid," Jae commented. Younghee snorted.

"Who cares?"

"I don't."

"Then it doesn't matter."

"I never said it did."

Younghee huffed. "Can I ever win against you?"

Jae hid a smile on Younghee's shoulder, ignoring the way her glasses' nose pads dug in her nose bridge. "Not if I don't let you."

"Well damn." Younghee closed her eyes, savoring the moment. She knew she was beaming like a besotted fool, but who cares?

(She didn't.)

  
"You called me 'baby'."

"...I did."

"Hmn."

"Does it bother you?"

"No? But I'm not a baby."

"Baby."

"No."

"Baby."

"Is this an insult?"

"Not at all, baby."

"Bri, stop."

"Baby."

"Bri."

"Baby."

"...fine! I'll let you win this time."

"Thanks. Baby."

"You-- _ugh_."

  
For the past few days, it was what occupied Dohyun's mind the most. It made her sad, to have her own sister as a "competition", but the fact that Dohyun didn't even stand a chance hurt more. She knew Jaekyung never saw her as a woman; for her, Dohyun was the kid from across her apartment that she adored.

Remembering Younghee and Jaekyung's interactions made her feel like them being together just made sense. A part of her was happy for her sister for finding someone to like and for Jaekyung for having someone as caring as Younghee. However, it could only ease some of the pain.

Her relationship with her sister didn't change, but she knew her sister noticed that she had become more subdued than usual. Younghee didn't confront, never did. She had always viewed and treated Dohyun as her own person capable of thinking, and Dohyun had always loved that part of her. Younghee was giving her time. Perhaps she also felt guilty--no, Dohyun _knew_ she felt guilty. But it wasn't her fault, Dohyun recognized that. It was nobody's fault.

It wasn't as if she was avoiding or was angry at her sister. She just found herself lost in her own head lately. Exams were just around the corner too. She should probably clear that with her sister once she got home. With that thought, she hoisted her backpack higher up her back and ambled down the road to their building with more vigor.

 _"Park Jaekyung,"_ a deep gleeful voice from behind her said. She turned to a man with a crooked grin. Dohyun's heart missed a beat when her eyes connected with his.

They glinted with something she couldn't quite name.

_"Do you know her, little missy?"_

  
"You guys haven't been coming over lately," Jaekyung pointed out as Younghee guided her through the right measurements for the Bulgogi's marinade. Dohyun should be back anytime soon, and dinner wouldn't be for at least another three hours. She already sent her sister a message that dinner would be at Jaekyung's place.

Truth be told, the idea of hanging out with Jaekyung again felt a lot like betraying her sister. It had been like that for a while. She knew how much Dohyun admired Jaekyung. Despite their age gap, Younghee acknowledged Dohyun's maturity and would never dream of underestimating her just because of her age.

Although she didn't sense any resentment from Dohyun, knew that her sister wasn't capable of holding a grudge, still.

"Sorry about that, kinda got busy. Exams were coming up for Dohyun and, uh, we were thinking of opening another branch."

From where Younghee was mixing the marinade and definitely not avoiding Jaekyung's eyes, she heard the other's gasp. "Oh my god, Bribri, that's amazing!"

Finally she looked up to meet Jaekyung's awed beam. _Gah_ , she knew it'd be bad for the heart. "T-thank you, uhm. Let's put t-the beef in?"

"Oh, yeah, of course!"

  
_"Her, in exchange of the kid. Pretty simple, eh? Agent Hajun--or should I say, Kim. Won. Pil."_

  
The loud, urgent knocks behind the door made both Younghee and Jae jump. Younghee rushed to put the marinated beef in the fridge to open the door while Jae peered from the kitchen.

Wonpil's visage was paper-white, his usually neat curls gone wild, and Sungji's mouth was pursed grimly.

Jae's heart dropped.

"What's going on?" Younghee's eyes flew from Jae to her team.

Sungji gripped Wonpil's hand harder. "We need to go. Now."

  
Jaekyung wouldn't meet Younghee's eyes.

A man who had introduced himself as Park Jinyoung had explained everything. Younghee wanted Jaekyung to deny it all, but she didn't.

She _couldn't_.

Jae wouldn't meet Younghee's eyes.

It would kill her to see the way she knew they would be screaming _traitor_ as they gazed at her.

Would kill her to see the gentleness and trust replaced with disappointment and anger.

So she couldn't.

  
_"Here?" Wonpil's voice ricochetted in the narrow hallways. His heart thudded steadily and heavily from the anxiety he tried to keep from showing. He was thankful for the fact that he was walking behind Lee Jin, and for the disguise that covered most of his face._

_"Yes," was the eventual reply. They halted in front of a gray metal door which the other pushed open. "Here."_

_Wonpil almost screamed._

_Yoon Dohyun's eyes were wide, fat tears rolling down from them and getting absorbed by the cloth covering her mouth. It muffled her whimpers and sobs. The messy braids on her shoulders followed the way she shook her head--as a warning? A plead? Wonpil's brain was getting fogged, his carefully sewn composure pulling apart at the seams._

_And then an abrupt peace washed over him._

  
Wonpil's gaze jumped from Jaekyung to Younghee, who were one seat apart. As soon as Park Jinyoung had left the meeting room to finalize things and for a short break, tension rose up not only from the two but as well as from Sungji beside him. He knew how protective and fiercely loyal she could get; had experienced it first-hand. Besides, he felt the same. Oh, how he wanted to wrap Jaekyung in a hug that the older claimed she disliked but tolerated anyway.

They all knew what it was like to get close to people and unintentionally bring them pain.

For now, however, they must concentrate in the plan of saving Dohyun while lowering the chances of endangering Jaekyung.

  
_"You've known."_

_The man--_ Choi Seunghyun _, his mind supplied--smiled in response, matching Wonpil's calmness. It hit Wonpil then. He was helpless. They were trapped._

 _"Accidentally." Seunghyun chuckled, and Wonpil's hatred for him, for_ _all of them_ , _flared. "Who would've thought that Agent Denise would ever visit the barbeque place right across one of my men's favorite cafe? Or that Agent Bang Sunghwa would be in the same convenience store as my men when they were craving ramen?"_

_"You're lying," Wonpil scoffed. Seunghyun merely shrugged and continued._

_"Or that you, Agent Hajun, would ever be so foolish as to accept Heejun's friendly hair ruffle?"_

_Wonpil's blood ran cold._

Shit. Shit. Shit.

_He had been the one to lead his friends to this, had been the one to put Dohyun in danger. Heejun. Lim Heejun. The diner owner, someone who had been so welcoming and understanding when Wonpil had came pleading for a job._

Fuck.

 _Seunghyun's sinister smile seemed to revive at Wonpil's realization. "It's a pretty new type, that one. You wouldn't even notice--you_ didn't _even notice. Probably already in the drain when you showered. Still."_

Still. _Wonpil had led them right where they wanted to be._

 _"I'll let you out to be my messenger. Tell_ Jaekyungie _she has twelve hours to choose wisely."_

  
"I'm sorry," Wonpil found himself blurting out, throat clogged with emotions. He heard Sungji's sharp inhale but she didn't touch him, merely watched as he meekly ducked his head and stared at the wooden table. "It's all my fault. I--"

"No." Jaekyung's voice was steady, firm. It was the first time she had spoken something that wasn't a suggestion for their plans. All eyes focused on her but hers were solely on him. "I'm the one they're after. It's my fault for-for getting close to Dohyun when it wasn't even safe for me to go out. It's my fault that she's--"

"Jae."

Jaekyung closed her mouth in a flash, teeth audibly clacking.

"Look at me." Younghee's command lacked the expected anger but was nonetheless authoritative. Jaekyung bit her lower lip, shutting her eyes tight for a second before she did as she was told.

Younghee had always had an intense, focused stare that intimidated people that didn't know her. Jaekyung had let it slip that it used to get to her when she was just starting to get to know the younger. As time passed by, Jaekyung had realized that Younghee may look like she's glaring but she's actually always smiling on the inside.

It didn't seem to be the current case. Younghee just looked cold and unreachable. "Did you know from the start that this would happen?"

"No! Had I known, I wouldn't have..." Jaekyung ran her hands over her face, trembling visibly. Wonpil hated to see her upset. He would often tease that she looked pitiful, but it was one of the things that triggered his desire to protect his friend.

Younghee seemed to know what came after the unfinished statement. She went on. "Did you wanted this to happen?"

Jaekyung looked as if she was gonna get _sick_. From his peripheral, Wonpil saw Sungji clench her fists and lean forward. She hissed, "how _dare_ you accuse Jae of such thing, you--"

"Noona." He curled his fingers around her upper arm, thumb rubbing soothing circles on the skin. Sungji took a deep breath and slowly released it.

"No," Jaekyung answered, voice pleading. "I could never, _ever_ want for something like this to happen, Younghee, I--"

"I thought you said you'd call me _Bribri_?"

Jaekyung faltered, just as Wonpil and Sungji did. Younghee smiled, posture loosing some of its stiffness.

"W-what?"

"Sorry if I was too harsh." Younghee slouched against the chair, face dark with worry. "This is all very surprising, but I understand. I don't blame you," she assured, sincerity conveyed through the way she looked at Jaekyung. "I understand. I promise."

 _"Oh god,"_ Jaekyung breathed out, face scrunching. She crossed her arms above the table and laid her head on them, shoulders quivering from the strength of her sobs.

"I don't blame you or Wonpil-ssi. It's nobody's fault but that fucker's."

 _"Bri,"_ Jaekyung brokenly sobbed, lifting her head from its hiding place and showing her vulnerability and openness. Wonpil felt a pang as he remembered how long it took him for Jaekyung to entrust him with her tears.

"Bri, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, _please_."

"I know. I understand." Younghee reached out to cup the older's cheek. Jaekyung shook her head carefully so as not to dislodge Younghee's hand.

"I should be the one comforting you."

Younghee gave a weak laugh. "I don't mind, baby."

Sungji straightened up. "... _baby_?"

"The plan has been approved," Park Jinyoung informed as soon as he entered the room. He blinked. "Is everything okay?"

"Y-yes," Wonpil supplied, going for the grin that had charmed many. "The plan?"

Park Jinyoung's skeptical eyes roamed as he tried to analyze the scene. "Right."

  
Choi Seunghyun had given a location for Jae to go to if she wanted to save Dohyun--as if she would ever think twice. It was different from the one Wonpil had been in, which was empty by the time the police had came to investigate.

It was quite a crowded area, their local park. Spring had given way to summer then autumn and Jae found herself admiring the scenery. They were already at the cusp of winter and soon enough, spring would be back.

She always stayed indoors during spring due to her allergies but she was looking forward to the next one, where she, Dohyun, and Younghee had already established plans.

She made a promise to herself to protect the sisters and what they had. It was a wishful thinking, she was aware, but hell if she wouldn't try anyway.

She'd do _everything_ to save Dohyun. To fade the dark cloud around Younghee and bring back the sunshine in her smiles.

But first.

She took out a burner phone in one of her coat pockets and dialed a number engraved to the very core of her mind. It picked up after the second ring.

_"Hello?"_

She instinctively smiled. "Hey, mom."

_"Jae-ah! My baby, what a pleasant surprise! How have you been? Are you eating well? Oh, I haven't talked to you since summer!"_

Jae felt a twinge of guilt. God, she was such a bad daughter, wasn't she? "Sorry, mom. There's been too much work lately. I'm being fed well, don't worry."

_"Are you still depending on Sungji and Wonpil for food? Jae, I told you to start learning how to cook, you can't just always--"_

"Ah, actually, it's someone else. And they 'are' teaching me how to cook."

 _"Oh? Does this someone else happens to be_ something else _too?"_

"Mom," she whined, feeling a burn in her cheeks. Talking to her family really brought out her childishness, being the youngest one in their house. But she sobered up soon enough. "Mom, I can't really stay long, I just wanna hear from you. I'm sorry." And she meant it. She really, 'really' felt sorry. For not calling as often as she probably should. For calling only when it might be the last.

 _"Oh."_ And hell did that one syllable _rip_ her; to hear her mom's disappointment. Jae swallowed the lump in her throat, clutching at the hem of her coat to keep the tears at bay. _"You've become so busy I sometimes wish you and Grace didn't have to grow up."_

 _Shit._ She had to end this or she would really _bawl_.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I promise I'd call more," she uttered before she could stop herself. It fueled her guilt further, well aware that she might not be able to keep it.

_"Fine, fine. I'll let you go now, hmn? I love you."_

"I l-love you too. So much. Tell dad and Grace for me, yeah?"

_"Of course, sweetheart. Take care of yourself and tell your friends to drop a call too. We miss them."_

"Yeah, they miss you too. Especially Sungji, she wouldn't shut up about the curry you cooked last New Year."

Her mom giggled delightedly. _"I'll keep that in mind. Bye sweetie."_

"Bye, mom."

And begrudgingly, she clicked the end button. It felt a lot like sealing her fate.

"Park Jaekyung?" A man in a black face mask asked. Jae peered up, tensing as the man took something from his pocket. "Some lady asked me to give this to you. She's there--oh?" The guy blinked at the empty area he was gesturing at. He frowned. "Anyway it's you, right? Blond hair, kinda looks like a chicken?"

Jae could _hear_ Wonpil's laughter from miles away. She knew, she could just _see_ him hitting his thighs and clapping like a seal, despite her only wearing a hidden mic and a very small camera as a one-way communication. She didn't need speakers to know.

She pursed her lips. The man chuckled bashfully, awkwardly scratching his cheek with an index finger. "I mean, you kinda really do but you're pretty too, you know?"

"You're just making it worse." She sighed as she took the proffered paper.

"Sorry," the guy snickered, only half apologetic. "Anyway, I gotta go."

She nodded in answer, watching the other's back view as it slowly got smaller. "I think that one's innocent." She whispered to the speaker concealed in her coat's collar. They still had to check on him though.

She unfolded the paper and read the contents in a low volume. Another address. Great.

She stood, crumpled the paper, and dropped it to the nearest bin along with the burner phone as she made her way out of the park.

Three blocks away. A five star hotel.

"That room was reserved for Kim Denise," The receptionist informed when Jae gave her the room number.

"That's me," she answered neutrally, sliding her fake ID on the counter. The receptionist's eyes lingered on her before she nodded in acknowledgement. Jae took her ID back.

"Here's your key, ma'am. We hope you enjoy your stay with us! If there's anything you need, just give us a ring."

She took the key card with a little bow. "Thank you."

She made her way to the elevator, pressed the 12th floor, and took a deep breath. She leaned on her right side against the wall, thankful to be alone.

A few people came and went before she reached the designated floor. Each step she took and each beat of her heart was heavier than the last. She was blinking too much, the winding hallways blurring before her eyes as they stretched endlessy. Time dragged on. She knew her feet were moving but she couldn't really feel it, even as she watched them. Right. Left. Right. Left.

She stopped in front of room 1220. Its door was identical to all the others but the sight of it rendered her legs jelly.

She'd never been involved hands-on in their missions before, always behind the computer and strategy making. This was Wonpil and Sungji's field, not hers. She tried not to give in to the urge to breakdown. She seemed to be having a lot of those recently. The people around her indulged her, catered to her, provided their arms for her to fall into. She shouldn't be too dependent on them.

Too late though.

Besides, this was all for Dohyun. And Younghee.

She swiped the card.

  
"A woman?" Sungji squinted her eyes at the screen. The room was dim but from the camera hidden in Jaekyung's blouse, they could see a smiling woman garbed in the hotel's uniform standing by the bed.

 _"Who are you?"_ Jaekyung's voice carried from her mic to their speaker, sounding catious.

 _"Shin Seungwan, at your service."_ The woman, Seungwan, bowed. _"I was told by the manager to assist you."_

_"Assist me?"_

_"Yes. I was told specific instructions."_ Seungwan's brows furrowed. _"They are... oddly specific instructions, if I may say so."_

_"What is it?"_

_"First, you must strip."_

Sungji's heart fell. Wonpil's chair rolled away from when he stood too quickly. "Fuck."

"Wait, what?!" Younghee indignantly exclaimed.

_"What?"_

_"Then I was told to bath you."_

_"B-but--"_

_"Clothes will be provided, as well as undergarments."_

"It's alright," Wonpil said, looking contemplative. "We already know the hotel and the police was already notified." On the screen, Jaekyung slowly removed her coat. Next were her pants, then the blouse, and the screen went black. They could hear weak rustling from where the mic got buried in her pile of clothes. Indistinguishable words were exchanged.

Then nothing.

  
Jae was given a bathrobe which she hastily wrapped around herself. She observed Seungwan neatly fold her clothes and settle them on the bed, putting her glasses on top of the pile. She then gestured towards the en suite. "Shall we?"

"I could just shower on my own."

"Of course." Seungwan looked apologetic. "But I'm only following orders. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable."

Jae sighed and started walking. "I don't really have a choice, huh."

"I'm sorry."

A sudden sharp pain pierced Jae's shoulder. She couldn't make any sound around the hand suddenly covering her mouth as the world blurred before her.

_"I'm really sorry."_

  
"Gone?! How could--how could she be just _gone_ , what do you mean?!" Wonpil's hands were trembling as he yelled. He didn't want to be rude, but the officer telling them that Jaekyung was just gone-- _how_?

There were cameras in the hallways, as well as the roads. No one had gone out. The cameras were working perfectly, a hacker from another team made sure it wasn't on a loop.

_"The room is really empty. We searched everywhere. The only thing here is Agent Denise's clothes--"_

"What about the cabinets?"

_"There's nothing in it."_

"Maybe there's a hidden door or something. Try looking for an empty space."

_"We've tried, it's just solid wall behind it."_

"Damn it!" Wonpil growled. He hit his fists against the table, the noise making a pale Younghee flinch. " _Damn it_!"

"Hajun!" Park Jinyoung's tone was stern. Wonpil turned to their superior. Normally this was were he would apologize, but he was panicking. Beside him, Sungji had her face in her palm while Younghee's pretty face was painted with worry and fear, knuckles turning white from holding on the edge of the table. "Being mad won't help Denise."

He took a deep breath and slowly released it. "Of course. I'm sorry, sir."

Park Jinyoung graced him with a paternal smile.

"Check the next room," Sungji spoke into the mic. They snapped their heads in her direction. "The one behind the cabinet."

"Oh!" Wonpil uttered.

A few tensed seconds passed. Then a rumbling sound.

_"It's directly connected to the cabinet! The wall can be moved!"_

A faraway voice was picked up by the speaker. _"Naeun says this alleyway down here is a blind spot!"_

Park Jinyoung's eyes widened. "What?!"

On one of the screens, a red dot suddenly blinked.

  
Dohyun was sitting on the swing, still like a statue. She stared at the dusty ground with empty eyes. In her head, the man's words repeated itself: _"if your sister comes to get you, that means your dear Jaekyungie-unnie chose you. And just know that I'm not exactly happy with her, so I can't really guarantee she'd have a great time with me."_

She closed her eyes. She was both sore and numb. Her tears had dried up and despite the urge, she couldn't produce new ones anymore. She wanted to be saved. That was normal, right? But she didn't want anything bad happening to Jaekyung. She was only doing her job. Was just doing good things. The man and their group were evil, so they should be stopped.

Why should innocent people and people with good intentions had to suffer? How could people not care about others who were only trying to live their lives just as they do? How could people _crave_ to inflict pain? What for?

_"Dohyun!"_

Her heart stopped.

  
When Jae came to be, her head was using her arm as a pillow. The tiniest movement sent electricity running under her skin, a good indicator of how long she had been resting on it. With her blurry vision and grogginess, it was easy to mistake the situation as her daily routine of falling asleep in front of the computer from either work or a game.

But this was not her computer and the shirt she was wearing wasn't hers.

She shot up, instantly awake.

"Finally!"

Her breath caught. The footsteps sounded close and only got closer, closer, _too close_. She didn't dare turn. A silhouette in her peripheral.

"Not even gonna take a peek?"

Jae stared at the keyboard. The man cackled.

"Oh well, you don't know what you're missing out on."

"I'm sure it's not much," she muttered unintentionally. Her stomach immediately fluttered with dread.

Five seconds of nothing passed before the man was laughing like tomorrow would never come. It grated on her nerves and put her on the edge.

"I'm sure you know why you're here," Choi Seunghyun said, moving to stand right beside her. He put an arm on the backrest and leaned in. Jae didn't dare breathe as he murmured against her ear, "you destroyed our hard work, so it's only fair you fix it back."

She bristled. "Your hard work and everything it stands for, everything that _you_ are, deserved to be dest--" she gasped. Seunghyun had cut her off by pulling her hair harshly.

"I'm not asking for your opinion." The hand tightened and she winced. "We both know you're cornered, so I'd be careful. After all, you're worried about your precious _Dohyunnie_ , right?" He pushed her head before letting go, almost making it hit the table. Seunghyun backed away, perhaps going back to where he initially was. Jae didn't care as long as he was far from her as possible.

"In front of you is a data about The Rose," Seunghyun informed. Jae couldn't help but look back in perplexity. He sat on a velvet loveseat, legs and arms crossed; the definition of relaxed. "I just want you to expand whatever's in there." He smirked, airily adding, "pretty simple, nothing you can't do."

The Rose, a casino allegedly involved with human trafficking. There had never been enough solid evidences to incriminate them.

This was either a chance to find out or a trap.

Jae braced herself.

  
The next thing Dohyun was greeted with after Younghee's tight embrace of relief were men and women in uniform, inspecting the perimeter, as well as some medics. They lead her and her sister in an ambulance where they asked her to change out of her uniform. Apparently she had a tracker with her, unbeknownst to her knowledge.

Soon enough, they were on their way to an office--Jaekyung, Wonpil, and Sungji's office--where everything had been relayed to her in simple language. But there wasn't much that Seunghyun hadn't already revealed to her.

She kept mum and tuned the noise out. She didn't want to be rude, but her brain continuously reminded her of what just happened and supplied her with ideas. Unpleasant ones where she'd never see Jaekyung ever again. Or that they would be back for her and she'd never see Younghee again.

Why did Choi Seunghyun even let her go?

"I think it could be a display of power." Dohyun met Sungji's eyes. "To make us see that he's capable of taking Dohyun right under our noses and return her just like that. I mean, she was taken not even a block from their apartment, for god's sake! And then we found her in the playground just a five minute walk away."

Park Jinyoung nodded. "Perhaps."

"Whatever the 'why' is doesn't matter," Wonpil piped up, his gaze gentle and earnest. "What's important is that she's back with us."

"Of course." Sungji gave Dohyun a small but sincere smile.

"Next is Jae." Wonpil's determined eyes connected with each of their own. It made hope bloom in Dohyun's chest, and provided a bit of ease to Younghee's distress. He locked gazes with Sungji and they nodded at each other in understanding. The two of them made their way to the door with sure steps, despite their doubts in the lead.

"We'll be back with her later." And that, despite the odds, they believed. Because they would do whatever it took.

  
It had been three grueling hours. The room might be cold from the air condition but Jae's hands were clammy. Her sight was blurring. Not to mention her sanity.

Trying to gain information whilst leaving a secret message that the other party would hopefully decipher was hard when the person that wasn't supposed to know understood the basics.

"There's still barely anything? Are you sure you're _the_ talented Agent Denise Kim?" Said person complained. Jae didn't even resist rolling her eyes.

"That had got to be the three hundred fifty seventh time you've said that," she mumbled. Seunghyun made no indications he heard. Still, what he said was true.

Partially.

There was barely anything, yes, but mainly because she was plotting something. A lot of times, these things went like this: when you thought you had a lead, it would turn out to be a dead end. It was as if you were running in endless circles. Jae recognized that, of course. But she'd done this before; she knew where to look and what to look for and look at. Therefore, she knew what to avoid.

Seunghyun knew this too--Jae would be shocked if he didn't--but it was obvious that it wasn't where his expertise lied.

The Rose was shady as fuck but Jae was just praying her plan would work.

She was navigating through the program when the screen went black. Then, a text: _Choi Seunghyun._ She blinked at it, heart starting to race.

Behind her, she heard a rustling.

 _Lim Heejun. Han Junho. Son Miri..._ Jae's stomach churned with the realization.

Behind her, she felt a presence loom.

  
Younghee knocked out of courtesy and habit before sliding the door open. Pristine white walls greeted her, along with a steady beating. She hated everything about the place and situation, reminded her a lot of her parents, but she pushed through.

On the bed was Jaekyung, hooked up in machines and medications, looking heartbreakingly fragile. Younghee had always viewed her as delicate but capable, so to see her like _this_...

To see her state four days ago, barely alive from the blunt trauma on her chest that broke three of her ribs and punctured her lung--the devastation had been _crushing_. Younghee was fresh out of the scare of potentially loosing her sister, then Jaekyung's condition was critical.

Seunghyun had disappeared after repeatedly stomping on Jae's chest until she coughed out blood.

Younghee's heart had drummed to an unpleasantly heavy rhythm. Her skin was both cold and hot.

It was just too much.

She had found herself chanting _"please be alright"_ as she and Dohyun rushed to the hospital after Wonpil, Sungji, and the officers that accompanied them had succeeded in rescuing Jae.

The trip was faint in her memory but the feelings had been vivid.

Once the surgery was done and their wait was over, Younghee had promised to do everything she could to prevent anything from happening to Dohyun and Jaekyung again. Ever. At whatever price.

Jaekyung had chuckled weakly when she told her, once the older regained consciousness two hours after her operation.

 _"What's so funny?"_ She had asked as she snivelled, trying to stop anymore tears from leaking out. She couldn't be blamed for breaking down after everything, right? Jaekyung feebly lifted a hand which she immediately caught with both of hers.

 _"Nothing,"_ was Jaekyung's response, no louder than a whisper. On her mouth was an oxygen mask that only made her speech more inaudible. But Younghee did her best to hear her. It helped that Sungji, Wonpil, and Dohyun gave them time alone as soon as Younghee started sobbing. _"It just reminded me of something."_

_"What is it?"_

Jaekyung merely gave her hand a squeeze. She seemed to be having difficulties with keeping her eyes open. Younghee knew her smile had probably been sappy when she said, _"go back to sleep, baby."_

And so Jaekyung did.

  
_The next time she came to be, Jae's poor eyesight was greeted by Younghee, arms crossed as she leaned back against the uncomfortable hospital chair. Her head had bowed from her slumber. From beside her, also in an identical chair as Younghee's, was Sungji. Her head lied on Jae's bed, around her thigh area. Looking around, she saw Wonpil on a small couch, Dohyun cuddled up on his chest._

_Seemed like they all decided to join her in dreamland._

_The light from the window indicated it was around afternoon. She had been rescued at about four in the morning, had surgery around the same time. She recalled when she first woke up, probably six or seven, still under meds: Wonpil crying on her stomach in a very careful hug, Sungji attempting to hide the way she was wiping her tears, Dohyun covering her face as she cried quietly. Then Younghee_ wailing _. She thought she just blinked a bit but the next thing she knew, only Younghee remained._

_They talked for a bit, and when Younghee brought up her promise, it reminded Jae of her own. And she had to laugh in relief, because she had fulfilled it. She did it._

_She saved Dohyun and brought back Younghee's smile._

_And she would do her best to keep doing it for as long as she could._

  
"Hey," Younghee greeted. The bed had been reclined so Jae was sitting. Fourth day had seen her without the oxygen mask and slight improvements. She seemed livelier as well, which brought Younghee great pleasure. Especially seeing Dohyun sitting by the foot of the bed, enthusiastically recounting her day to a content-looking Jaekyung.

They both turned to her, grinning. "Unnie!" Dohyun squealed, causing Jaekyung to huff in amusement. Younghee wasn't sure if humans were allowed to be this happy at something so simple, but she was.

"Younghee-ah," Wonpil sing-songed. She gave him a nod, her bright smile still intact. He had been fetching Dohyun from school where they head straight to visit Jaekyung while Younghee was swamped with work, which she would eternally be grateful for. It served not only as a security measure, but Dohyun seemed to have taken a liking on Wonpil and enjoyed spending time with him.

Besides, the banters he and Jaekyung exchanged were always hilarious.

"I came bearing gifts," she announced, holding up a bag from the restaurant. It gained her answers in varying degrees of excitement.

Jaekyung was eyeing her other hand, so she lifted it along with the smaller bag it carried. "Also something especially for the princess." She chortled at the pout it earned. "Don't worry, I made sure it's good enough for your standard. Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Jaekyung answered with zero hesitation. Younghee softened.

"Uh," Wonpil interrupted, cutting their eye contact. "Sungji's stuck in a traffic but she's pretty close now."

"Alright, I'll put aside her share." She began distributing the tupperwares, putting Sungji's on the bedside table. She then sat beside Jaekyung and opened the other bag. In it were meals that were essential for healing but also foods she made sure Jaekyung was not allergic to. She placed them on the overbed table, sans one, and directed a bright grin towards an anticipating Jaekyung.

She scooped some of the soup, making sure they weren't scalding hot. "Ah," she teased. Jaekyung shook her head a bit but smiled as she took the bite anyway.

"When do you think is the best time to confess, Dohyunnie? I mean, it's so obvious, right?" Younghee startled at Wonpil's voice, reddening at the words.

"You're right, oppa," Dohyun played along, "I can already imagine the wedding."

"Huh?" Jaekyung blinked. "Wait, who's confessing to who and who's getting married?" She tried to analyze their faces, Wonpil and Dohyun both sporting silly smiles while Younghee's skintone was beginning to resemble a tomato. "Is it you?" She asked Wonpil, who raised a brow. "I mean, you've been obvious with Sungji since the first day."

"Wait, you're not dating?" Younghee sounded genuinely surprised.

Dohyun was confused. "But oppa, you said you already planned your beach wedding--"

"What?! Have you two been dating without telling me?!"

"What's going on?" Sungji questioned from the door, startling everyone.

"Sungji! How could you keep--"

"Nothing! Nothing, I swear!" Wonpil cut Jaekyung off, who thankfully ceased. He knew she was just riling him up, but it didn't stop him from having palpitations.

"Okay? Anyway, I found this outside." She gave the basket of flowers in her grip a light shake. Surrounding a lone black rose in the middle were peach roses. It looked equal parts beautiful and ominous. "There's a note, too." Sungji sounded cautious.

"What does it say?" Jaekyung inquired, feeling Younghee's comforting hand on hers.

 _"Don't cross us and we won't cross you._ This is..."

"Both a warning and a thank you, I think."

Jae nodded in agreement. How her group gained the lead of her location, the anonymous message on their screen that appeared like it did for her and Seunghyun: _The Rose_.

The first part of her plan to pit Seunghyun's syndicate against The Rose had seemed to work, if they willingly helped her and her team.

Only time could tell if it would actually succeed, once one of them eliminated the other--or if they ever would. She wasn't sure how those people operated. They could either destroy each other or strike up a partnership. Maybe they would come back for her, for them.

Whatever happened was a problem for another day, she concluded.

"Put that far away from Jae as much as possible," Wonpil commanded, making Sungji glare at him. "Please, noona, thank you!"

Jae laughed, albeit with difficulty, but it didn't stop her from living in the moment. She was here, with some of the people she treasured the most.

She and Dohyun still had to undergo counseling to help with the mental trauma, and she had to give her family the promised phone call, but she could surely say she was _happy_.

  
The cool spring breeze caressed Jaekyung's skin and she basked in it, closing her eyes to focus on the feeling. _She looked peaceful,_ Dohyun mused as she watched from the side, reveling in the sight. Jaekyung still looked every part of the angel she had harbored infatuation for; to be honest, Dohyun never really got over the feelings. It just turned into something deeper, and much more like the admiration and love she had for Younghee.

Who was, speaking of, out of it, sweating despite the cool weather. It had been a year since the three of them promised to visit the park for spring. Jaekyung had taken her antihistamine prior the trip, while Younghee had practiced her confession with Dohyun a week before.

She took Jaekyung's hand then Younghee's, leading them forward. She relished Jaekyung's fond gaze and Younghee's antsy but sweet smile.

Today would be perfect. Dohyun was sure of it.

**Author's Note:**

> Some notes:  
> • Hajun was the most common Korean name in 2017.  
> • The Rose isn't necessarily Sammy's group, but feel free to imagine it as them if you want. I just really needed the flower rose in the story because of the meaning.  
> • "The sweet peach rose conveys a meaning of modesty, genuineness, sincerity and gratitude. It can be great for saying “thank you” and would be an appropriate gift when closing a business deal, for example. The peach rose can also be a great way to show sympathy to a loved one or a close friend." (https://www.fiftyflowers.com/blog/rose-color-meanings/)
> 
> This had been marinating in my drafts for practically months and I'd been procrastinating dishing it out because it felt daunting. And that it's not good enough. I hope it wasn't too obvious that I got lost in the middle of writing this mess.
> 
> I've decided to upload this before The Sin™. LOL I'll upload that maybe tomorrow. Maybe.


End file.
